Swear Not By The Wings

The peaceful noise of the woodland fills my ears as I sit up high on a tree. I do this sometimes when I'm bored. Nothing particularly special is going on today so I decide to enjoy nature. I run a hand through my white hair as I elect what I should for the day. Take the dragons for a ride? I suppose the bender fairies won't like that. Okay, bother the trolls it is!

Although, the craftsmen will be angry with me. The trolls help the craftsmen make well, their crafts.

My thoughts are gone when I feel an acorn whack me in the back of the skull. Already aggravated, I look down to snap at whoever threw the object at me. My eyes lock with Ellowyn, a flower fairy. And just like that, my defensive demeanor melts away. Ellowyn is a beautiful fae and a sweetheart. She has pastel pink hair and alluring crystal blue eyes. I feel the ends of my lips tug upwards.

"Hello Elle, you hit me with an acorn?" My smile widens when the girl blushes at the nickname I gave to her.

"Sorry, Elio! Arden and Freya wanted me to let you know that they're arguing again," Ellowyn informs with an angelic voice. By "they" she means Arrietty and her mother, Betsy. I nod and clap my hands together, causing the pretty fae to jump.

"Good because I'm bored, " I reply and run off to find my friends.

"Elio, hurry up before you miss it!" Freya yells to me.

Freya is an animal fairy and one of my best friends.

"What's the family matter, today?" I question and take a seat next to her.

"Arrietty won't wear the necklace," Arden says as he watches the dispute happen with nervous pale green eyes. I ruffle his curly brown locks and shove him lightly. Arden is a crafts fairy and not to mention, extremely gentle. I don't know how I've become fond of him, but here we are. We continue watching the argument go down between the mother and daughter in amusement.

Arrietty Spring is the great-granddaughter to a fairy we used to know who went by the same name. Her late relative was always looking after Freya, Arden, and I when we were little. I was devastated when she left our world. When I found out that Betsy named Arrietty after her great-grandmother, I made a promise to myself that I'll always look after her, just like her great-grandma had always looked after me.

I've been watching the girl of my passed caretaker grow up for quite some time now. I know it may sound creepy, but I do this just to make sure that she is safe and following all of the rules. And before you ask, how we survey the Spring family is a faerie secret!

I have always hoped that I will get to meet Arrietty number two one day. She looks just like her great-grandma and I can only wonder if we could be friends. Unfortunately, her annoying mother is making it very difficult. It's nearly impossible for me to greet her daughter! I can't even near the Spring's home without possibly dropping dead!

The only means that I'll be able to enter the human world is if someone of the fae blood curses our name and doesn't have protection with them. This is highly unlikely for Arrietty's case since her mother is always putting salt packets in the girl's backpack!

I don't blame Betsy though, the fairy-reputation is not the greatest. We are like the bad boys every parent tries to keep their beloved daughter far away from. I scrunch up my nose when Arrietty chucks an odd piece of jewelry at her mother.

"What on earth is that ugly thing?" I ask.

"That's the necklace Betsy wants Arrietty to wear," Freya snorts and flips her black hair over her shoulder.

"It's hideous," I comment before Arden and Freya nod their heads in agreement. Why is there a gnome on it? I chuckle to myself. Betsy is a clever woman, but her taste in jewelry is terrible. Why she would ever let her daughter wear that awful necklace? I don't have an answer to that. Just when I think Arrietty will reluctantly wear the poor excuse of jewelry, she makes a comment that sends my jaw ticking instead.

"What type of mother raises her child to believe in fairy tales! Fairies aren't real, just like unicorns aren't real, just like elves aren't real! It's imaginary! Fake!" She yells and leaves her house.

I notice that the girl has fled without anything to protect her. I grin inwardly at this. I've never anticipated meeting the human under circumstances such as this, but Arrietty leaves me with no choice.

Arden and Freya snap their heads in my direction.

"Elio, I'm sure she didn't mean it," Arden tries to defend the girl's stupidity. Arden's always been the soft kind. If it were up to him, Arrietty could go rob a bank and he'd still uphold her! I stand up and Freya follows suit. It's the protocol that we educate the fae blood on the importance of speaking such disrespectful things against our name.

If the fae name becomes tarnished by our human relatives, people will stop believing in fairies and the fae gene won't be able to pass on anymore. This means that our kind will go extinct. As much as I like the human girl, I will not go easy on her. I almost pity Betsy, it's clear that she loves her daughter. Too bad for her, she won't be seeing her precious little girl for a long time. Arrietty has to learn the difference between fake and true.

"No, she did mean it. Rules are rules, Arden. Pack up your stuff! We're going on a trip. And tell the others," I announce in an authoritative voice.

Arden reluctantly agrees and rounds up the group. Finally, I get to meet you, Arrietty Spring. I promise that I'll make this birthday, unforgettable.

And I will show you, foolish girl, how fake we really are.